Furnishings Made of Rope: Knotty but No Problem

Shopping for Rope Home Accents

Slide Show|9 Photos

Shopping With Thom Filicia

Shopping With Thom Filicia

CreditFred R. Conrad/The New York Times

At Thom Filicia’s weekend house, bathroom mirrors are framed in rope, chairs are made out of it and a thick length serves as a stair rail.

“I used rope as a handrail because I didn’t want a banister,” said Mr. Filicia, the Manhattan interior designer whose Skaneateles, N.Y., home was the subject of “American Beauty,” a book published by Potter Style. “It creates something more sculptural and fun. That’s probably everyone’s favorite part of my house, even though it started out as the ugliest staircase I had ever seen in my life.”

Such is the magic of rope, a utilitarian material that has been finding its way into all manner of furniture and decorative objects. “There’s something wonderful, warm and textured about it,” said Mr. Filicia, 45. “When you start to see it in a different way — in a decorative way — it can become beautiful, sophisticated and elegant.”

Rope also has special meaning for Mr. Filicia, an avid boater who appreciates its nautical associations. “Having that reference in the home,” he said, “reminds me of something that makes me happy.”

In search of more rope creations, he visited the Arteriors showroom in the New York Design Center, where he found the Seasal table lamp by Laura Kirar. “It’s a rope sculpture,” he said of the cage-like base wrapped in sisal twine. “It’s not just about the material; it’s about an interesting shape.”

He also liked the Cormac lantern, a clear glass globe covered in jute-rope netting, with a rope handle on top. “It’s just like a purse,” he said admiringly.

At the Palecek showroom, he picked out the Spa Occasional chair, a woven sea-grass armchair with an upholstered seat and back. “The material is very relaxed, but the shape is still modern and sophisticated,” he said. “I’d do the cushions in a great ikat or stripe.”

For a little whimsy, he liked the Manila Rope lights by Atelier 688, which he found on Etsy: lengths of rope sprouting functional light sockets, which could be purchased in multiples, tied in knots and suspended from the ceiling like a chandelier. “That’s just fun,” he said. “It’s quirky and weird.”

But he was most excited about a vintage piece on 1stdibs: the Harp chair by Jorgen Hovelskov. The minimalist wood frame strung with cord to create a seat and back is “just so interesting to look at,” Mr. Filicia said. “It resembles a sailboat, but it could also be a bridge. It reminds me of Santiago Calatrava, one of my favorite architects.”